How to Remove Some Small Spots of Blood

If you have ever attempted to clean up blood, you know that removing even the smallest spots of blood can be challenging, if not impossible, due to its binding nature and ability to seep into porous materials. Not only that, but blood can carry harmful pathogens such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B (HBV), and hepatitis C (HCV), so special precautions should be taken when cleaning any amount of blood.

Cleaning Blood – Ask the Right Questions

To determine the best way to clean a bloodstain, ask the following questions:

Is the stain fresh or has it already dried?

As with most stains, the sooner you are able to treat a blood stain, the easier it will be to remove.

What type of surface was the blood spilled on? Carpet? Cement? Tile? Wood?

Porous materials like wood, carpet, and cement are much harder to clean than non-porous materials like tile and marble. You may be able to remove visible blood, but never the lingering bacteria, which is how infections spread.

Are you trying to remove some small spots of blood or a large blood spill?

If the blood spill is smaller than a dinner plate, you may be able to safely clean it on your own as long as you wear personal protective equipment including gloves and a respiratory mask and follow proper cleaning procedures.

3 Tips For Removing Small Spots of Blood

• Always use cool water. Hot water causes the proteins in blood to bind more effectively, reducing your chances of removing the stain.
• Clean, then sanitize. Use a registered disinfectant product with a broad spectrum kill claim to clean and sanitize the affected area. Go over the stain with disinfectant at least 3 times to ensure all bacteria has been killed.
• Dab, don’t scrub. Scrubbing a blood stain can push it further into a porous surface. Instead, dab the area, starting from the outside of the stain, and work your way to the center.

When to Worry About Bloodborne Pathogens

There is no way to know if the blood you are cleaning carries bloodborne pathogens unless the person in question has told you so. And in some cases, the person might not know that they carry bloodborne pathogens at all.  

When removing small spots of blood, you do your best to make sure all biohazardous materials are cleaned thoroughly and efficiently.

Removing Large Amounts of Blood

If blood spill is larger than a dinner plate, it is recommended that a professional bioremediation company cleans and sanitizes the affected area. With almost 20 years of experience in bioremediation and crime scene cleaning, Aftermath has handled blood cleaning and specialty sanitization for thousands of clients across the United States. Need assistance cleaning a blood stain? We are available 24/7.

———-
Sources:

http://www.aftermath.com/contact-24-7-365/
https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/bloodbornepathogens/